Cops save kitten with head stuck in can

OSPCA worker Claudia Zapata cleans frozen tomato sauce from a kitten's head while Kim Thompson calms it, after an officer found the seven-month old kitten at a call with a can stuck on its head. (JT MCVEIGH/QMI Agency)

BARRIE, Ont. - Police came to the rescue after a kitten managed to get itself stuck in a can of Chef Boyardee in central Ontario Tuesday.

Answering an unrelated call, police accidentally stumbled across the small kitten with its head jammed in the can near the steps of a residence.

At first, police saw what appeared to be a frozen squirrel in a can on the ground. Then the can moved. Closer examination showed that it was actually a small kitten with his head stuck.

The kitten appears to have got himself into trouble through simple misadventure, Sgt. Doug Henderson said.

"It looks like he was probably just trying to get some Beefaroni," he said.

Officers tried unsuccessfully to free the animal, but they were able to cut a hole in the can so the kitten could breathe. Police rushed the creature to the OSPCA office.

Shelter staff safely removed the can and the cat is doing fine, according to Kim Thompson, who works at the OSPCA in Barrie, Ont. The kitten will remain in shelter custody until a suitable owner is found.